ST.MARTINVILLE — A tragic turn of events at the St.Martinville high school homecoming game…Friday night after a shooting on school grounds leaves one dead and another behind bars, but the shooting has also left—parents from the Erath community shaken up and riddled with questions as to how this all happened in the first place.
"To watch the video of our kids running off the field for his life, I am mad, and I am still in shock," said an Erath parent who was at the homecoming game Friday night to watch her child play in the game versus St.Martinville High School.
Parents from Erath, who attended last night's game, speak out but ask not to be identified. They recall the chilling moments from Friday night when they came to watch their son play.
I proceeded to walk in front of the school, and that's when the shots were fired," said one parent.
Charlotte Goutierrez, and Roslyn Ward, sisters, were live streaming the game for family when everything unfolded.
"I said oh my god, they are shooting; then the guy announced to seek shelter, and people were running everywhere," said Ward.
"I actually had a St.Martinville Highschool student run up to me for safety, and this was her first football game; she was terrified," said the parent.
22-year-old Zackyric Gardner is under arrest in connection with the shooting that has left one person dead.
St. Martinville Chief Ricky Martin tells me that the shooting occurred just minutes before the homecoming game. I also learned that the two men involved in the shooting are former St.Martinville students who attended a tailgate located on school grounds. Police also believe both men were involved in beef that stemmed weeks prior.
"This has affected all of the kids, not just our kids, but you are an Alumni of this school; you should be grown enough to act right," said another Erath parent.
The mayor confirms that the St.Martinville Alumni Association put on the tailgate just a few hours before the game.
"To hear my son's voice when he called me to let everyone know that they were all ok. A child should not have to go through that, to call us and ask if his family is ok," said the concerned parent.
And since this shooting, these parents have lost confidence in the city of St.Martinville.
"We were invited to St.Martinville, and we do not feel safe there anymore," said the parent.
And the high school student brought to safety….now has a change of heart.
"We stayed in contact with each other, and we learned that she returned her homecoming dress because she was too scared to attend the dance," the parent said.
St.Martinville High School continued with their homecoming dance Saturday night, which had extra security.
As of now, police say that this is an ongoing investigation.
